%0 Journal Article
%T Model Construction for the Intention to Use Telecare in Patients with Chronic Diseases
%A Jui-Chen Huang
%A Yii-Ching Lee
%J International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/650238
%X Objective. This study chose patients with chronic diseases as study subjects to investigate their intention to use telecare. Methods. A large medical institute in Taiwan was used as the sample unit. Patients older than 20 years, who had chronic diseases, were sampled by convenience sampling and surveyed with a structural questionnaire, and a total of 500 valid questionnaires were collected. Model construction was based on the Health Belief Model. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the causal model was explained by structural equation modeling (SEM). Results. The priority should be on promoting the perceived benefits of telecare, with a secondary focus on the external cues to action, such as promoting the influences of important people on the patients. Conclusion. The findings demonstrated that patients with chronic diseases use telecare differently from the general public. To promote the use and acceptance of telecare in patients with chronic diseases, technology developers should prioritize the promotion of the usefulness of telecare. In addition, policy makers can strengthen the marketing from media and medical personnel, in order to increase the acceptance of telecare by patients with chronic diseases. 1. Introduction With the rapid aging of the population and the abrupt increase in the number of people needing care, the ability of a family to provide care has become relatively insufficient. Nowadays, the nuclear family is unable to support the care for family members, and the employment rate for women, who are traditionally the caretakers, is growing. As there lacks the understanding of telecare, and the government has limited funding to invest in related services, the amount of manpower providing care cannot meet the demands of the market. Telecare refers to the utilization of distance communication techniques that link the user end and the service end to provide continuous, instant, and accessible care services. Telecare can be used not only in disease monitoring but also in health promotion and disease prevention. Its main clinical applications are in patients with chronic diseases, as well as the elderly or young patients. It has been shown to be especially effective in helping patients with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, coronary heart disease, and asthma) [1¨C3]. Although related industries are aggressively seeking cooperation with medical care industries and institutions, the technical maturity of related products needs to be continuously improved. In addition, the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijta/2013/650238/